On Friday, skaters and bikers of all ages could be found christening the concrete of the Mueller residential community’s (almost) brand-spanking-new skate park and pump track. Community members and project officials rang in the Mueller Southeast Greenway Park‘s official grand opening with music, free popsicles, and a skate safety demonstration.
The skate park off of Manor Road, which has been open since late August, is outfitted with ramps, a grind rail, and a quarterpipe. The pump track is a separate area, which includes an intermediary and beginner loop so everyone can feel comfortable scooting, skating, or biking on the track.
Greg Weaver of Catellus, Mueller’s master developer, said during the event that he was initially hesitant about the logistics of the skating area but came around to the idea of the park as a community hub. “We talked to the city and we talked to the community about what was needed … and a skatepark and a pump track was the ask,” Weaver said.
Candice McNair, a current resident of the St. Johns neighborhood, says moving back to Texas from skate-centric Santa Cruz, Calif., meant her kids were used to using skateboarding as one of their main means of transportation. McNair’s family used to drive 30 minutes northwest to the Brushy Creek Skate Park in Cedar Park to dust off their wheels, but she says it’s been great to have easy skating access in East Austin since August. “When our boys saw this they were just like, ‘This is incredible,'” McNair said.
This article appears in October 28 • 2022.